3. THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK 13
5.2 Thematic data analysis 29
5.2.1 Theme 1: Social beliefs and expectations 30
Theme 1 was derived from the participant’s responses to the question: What is the significance of the mourning cultural practice to the Zulu people? The majority of the participants in all the groups were of the view that mourning cultural practice is very important to them. They cited a number of social beliefs which confirm the importance of the practice. They are under the conviction that this cultural practice is done to honour the deceased, to pay respect to the ancestors and to preserve the African culture. Some of these participants pointed out that despite the challenges attendant to this cultural practice, it should be observed to avoid detrimental results to the family involved. This was attested to by the following quotations:
31 The key informants
Thina maZulu sikholelwa ukuthi uma kufiwe kusuke kwehle elimnyama ekhaya, ngakho-ke umndeni wonke usuke usebumnyameni. Uma ke kungubaba wekhaya oshonile umama kumele leso sinyama akuso asitshengise ngenzila, ukuze phela ahloniphe idlozi lalapha ekhaya, naye ahlonipheke emphakathini (HM3).
‘We, black people, believe that when death is a sign of bad luck, therefore the whole family is in the darkness. If the father of the house passed on, the mother should symbolize that darkness by mourning dress so as to respect the ancestors of that home and make herself respected by the community.’
Isiko lokuzila libaluleke kakhulu kithina, futhi sikholelwa ukuthi uma ungalenzi idlozi liyakushaya. Phela konke osuke ukwenza sikholelwa ukuthi basuke bekubona abalele, uma ungasazili bayakujezisa ngoba usuke ubadelela.Siyakholelwa ukuthi abangasekho kulo mhlaba basuke sebesondelene noMvelingqangi, besicelela nezibusiso(CL1&CL2).
‘The mourning cultural practice is very important to us, and we also believe that if you do not observe it the ancestors will punish you. Actually we believe that the ancestors see whatever you do, if you do not observe the cultural mourning practice they punish you because you mean to despise them.
We believe that our ancestors are the ones who are next to the Lord to plead for blessings on our behalf.’
The key informants are concerned with the preservation and continuation of the mourning cultural practice since it is a tradition from time immemorial. Also, emanating from these informants is a sense that the man holds a higher status and the woman is expected to mourn in a particular way. The ancestors, the cornerstone of the Zulu culture, are also integral to the mourning cultural practice.
The women’s focus group
Libaluleke ngempela leli siko, sikhule lenziwa, mhlawumbe sekungaba inkinga uma singaligcini. Khona linezinkinga eziningi esikhathini esikuso kuningi okwakuvumelana nempilo eyayiphilwa kudala, ukugoya, ukugeza entathakusa ngamanzi abandayo nokugqoka izingubo ezimnyama kona kubadalela izinkinga abesimame abashonelwe (Women focus group).
‘This cultural practice is very important, it was practiced when we grew up, perhaps it might be a problem to stop observing it now. Even though it has a lot of problems in this current context, many of these practices were relevant to the olden days’ life style, sitting, early morning bath with cold water and wearing of black clothes do cause a lot of problems for widowed women.’
32 Echoing the sentiments of the key informants, the women’s focus group also notes the importance of the continuation of the mourning cultural practice.
The men’s focus group
Ukuzila kuyindlela yokutshengisa umphakathi ukuthi usebumnyameni udinga inhlonipho kuwona, futhi uma uzilile nawe uqobo kuyakusinda ukwenza izinto ezibheke eceleni, inzila ikwenza ukwazi ukuzithiba ezintweni ezibheke eceleni uhloniphe lo muntu osedlulile emhlabeni (Men’s focus group).
‘Mourning practice is a sign of showing the community that you are still in darkness and you expect respect from them, and if you are still in mourning process it is hard for you to do any wrong things, it makes you abstain from wrong things and respect the one who has passed on.’
The men’s focus group appears to be concerned with appearances. From the quote above one can deduce that there is a perception that a bereaved woman receives special respect, perhaps a respect not accorded under normal circumstances. There is also a sense that women are generally occupied with questionable activities and only during mourning do they “behave”.
It is as if the mourning cultural practice is a means to control a woman’s behaviour.
The widowed women
The widows are under the conviction that using of mourning dress is an African cultural practice which signifies the feelings the widow has for her deceased husband, and these widows emphasize the fact that despite the stress attendant to this they have to do it. This is attested to by the following responses:
Leli siko liyindlela yokutshengisa ubuhlungu onabo ngalowo osedlulile emhlabeni, nokumhlonipha yena uqobo ngoba usuke ekhona eduze ekubhekile ukuthi wenza kanjani. Khona liyisiko elisindayo kithina esisuke sifelwe abayeni (WW3).
‘This cultural practice is the way of showing the pain you have about the one who has passed on and to respect him because he is still around you observing whatever you do. It is a challenging custom to us as widows.’
Ukuzila kubalulekile, ikakhulukazi uma uzilela umuntu obekuthanda nawe umthanda, phela kusuke kuyinkomba yokuthi ubebaluleke kangakanani empilweni yakho. Okuyinkinga nje kuba yilezi zinto eziningi otshenwa zona okumele uzigcine, zikubukanisa nezwe (WW2).
‘Mourning is important, especially if you are mourning for somebody who loved you and you also loved him. This is actually a sign of to show how
33 important he was in your life. The only problem is the lot of things you are
being instructed to observe which make you a centre of attraction.’
Widows continue this trend of concern regarding their appearances. There is a sense that an overt display of mourning is symbolic of the affection for the spouse who has passed on. One suspects a degree of melodrama in these performances. What is also interesting are those widows who acknowledge that mourning is “a challenge” but they do not appear to make any attempt to alter the practice.
The widowed men
Ukuzila kuwuphawu lokuhlonipha nokutshengisa uthando lwaloyo osedlule emhlabeni. Thina-ke maZulu sinezindlela eziningi esizisebenzisayo ukugcina leli siko, ikakhulukazi abesimame kuningi okulindeleke kubo, akufani nathi bantu besilisa esizila ikakhulukazi ngezinhliziyo (WM1).
‘Mourning cultural practice is a sign of showing respect and love to the one who passed on. We, Zulu people, have a lot of methods to observe this custom, especially the women who have so many things which are expected from them, they are unlike us who only mourn with hearts.’
Ukuzila phela kusho ukuzithiba nokuhlonipha lowo osuke esedlule emhlabeni, esikholelwa ukuthi usuke esekhona eduze kwakho futhi ezoba yidlozi elizobheka ikhaya. Inkinga nje sekwaba yiko ukuthi ezinye zezinto ezenziwayo seziyaphambana nesikhathi esiphila kuso (WM3).
‘Mourning means to abstain and to respect the one who had passed on as we believe that he/she is still around you and is going to be ancestor who will look after the home. The problem is that some of the perfomed practices are outdated.’
The widowed men acknowledge the importance of the mourning cultural practice in terms of sustaining and continuing the Zulu culture. They acknowledge that the practice has more expectations for widows and they also note that some customs are outdated.
In this theme of Social Beliefs and Expectations, all the groups were of the same view that the mourning cultural practice is vital for the preservation of the Zulu people’s tradition. All the groups acknowledge that despite the constraints of the practice, the status quo must be maintained.
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